Electric lamp



(Hommel.)

L. G. WOOLLEY.

ELECTRIC LAMP. No. 243,749. Patented July 5, 1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LEONIDAS G. WOOLLEY, OF MENDON, MICHIGAN.

ELECTRIC LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,749, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed February 16, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, LEoNIDAs G. WooLLEY, of Mendon, in the county of St. Joseph and State ot' Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specilication.

My invention relates to an improvement in electric lamps; and it consists in the two parts which form the upper carbon holder, united by means of an easily-fusible solder, so thatin case the carbon should become too short or entirely consumed, neither the carbon-holders nor any part of the generator will be injured or destroyed.

It further consists in a chain which is electrically insulated for the purpose of preventingthe part which has dropped off by the meltingof the solder from breaking the glass globe or doing other injury.

It further consists in the combination of a non-conducting substance placed in the end of the stem of 011e of the carbon-holders; a carbon-holder made in two parts, which are Y united by an easily-fusible solder; and an in sulated chain which is fastened to both parts of the holder, so as to prevent one of the parts from dropping downward in case it should become detached.

It iinally consists in the arrangement and combination of parts which will enable the upper carbon to be turned at any desired angle, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object ot'my invention is to prevent the lamp from being melted or injured when the carbons have become entirely consumed, or burned too short, and to prevent a shortcireuit being formed which would injure the generator.

Figure l is a side elevation of an electric lamp embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa detached view of the upper carbon-holder alone. Fig.3 shows the positions the parts of the lamp assume after the solder has been melted by the heat and the circuit broken.

A represents the stem of the upper carbonholder, which has a hole, B,made horizontally through it, and a recess, C, made in its lower end to receive a block of wood or other nonconducting material, D.

Passing through the hole B is the pivoted rod E, which has the liat head G formed on one end, and which rod serves to adjust the upper carbon-holder at any desired angle. As this rod slips easily back and forth through the stem, the holder can be adjusted laterally as well as at an angle, and secured rigidly in any desired position by means of the set-screw H. Secured to the outer side ofthe flat head G, on the end of this pivotal rod, by means of any soft fusible solder or other substance which is readily affected by heat, is the L-shaped carbon-holder I, which has the clamp J secured to the under side of its lower end. Fastcned to the under side of the flat head G, and to this L-shaped carbon-holder, is the electrically-insulated chain or wire L, which serves to support the carbon-holder when it drops downward, as shownin Fig. 3.

The hook or other device by which the chain Lis secured to the head G is inserted in or fastened to a non-magnetic substance and then this non-magnetic substance is secured to the head in any suitable manner. For instance, the hook may be fastened to a piece of wood or bone, and then the wood or bone inserted in a hole in the head G made to receive it, and the piece held in place by frictional contact, or by a pin or other device.

In case the carbon point in the upper holder should have become burned too short or consumed entirely, the intense heat, where no preventive is used, melts or badly injures the carbon-holder itself, and in case the upper carbonholder should descend so as to form a direct circuit through the two carbon-holders themselves, a short circuit is formed, which will not only melt the carbon-holders themselves, but cause the wire upon the generators to be destroyed. To prevent this the L-shaped piece I is secured to thepivotal rod or arm by means of solder or other equivalent substance or device which is easily fused, so that as soon as the carbon-holder becomes heated this solder will be melted, and the upper carbon-holder will drop downward and hang suspended by the chain, as shown, and thus break the circuit. In order to preventthe chain then from IOO acting as a conductor, it is electrically insulated, as described. When the carbon-holder drops the current is at once broken, and then the stem A descends by its own weight, and if no non-conducting substance were placed between it and the lower carbon-holder the current would again be established and the melting or destruction of the parts continue. It is for the pur-pose of preventing the current from again being established when the two carbon-holders come together that the block of wood or other non-conducting material D is placed in the lower end of the stem A, as shown in Fig. 3. When the stem of the upper holder descends the block of wood rests upon the lower carbon point, and the lampv is simply extinguished when the current is broken without any other bad results.

WVhen lighting the lamps in the evening, or when they are being burned later than usual, it frequently happens'that the carbon points are almost or entirely consumed before it is discovered, and as soon as the two carbon-holders approach each other sufficiently near for the current to. pass directly through them the intense heat will melt the holders themselves, and even if this melting should not take place the short circuit that is established will cause the generator to be entirely ruined or very badly injured.

It is not necessary that a soft solder alone should be used in the upper carbon-holder, for any part of the holder may be made of a metal which fuses at a low temperature, and which will become easily severed by the heat, so as to break the current.

Instead of the carbon-holder being made of two parts and secured together by means of an easily-fusible solder, it may be made wholl y of a material which will fuse at a low heat.

It is evident that the construction above described can be applied to both carbons, if so preferred, or, where the upper holder is stationary and thelower one movable, to the lower one alone.

Ihe non-conductin g substance I.) can be placed in the end ofthe lower stem, instead of in theupperone; or there may be apiece placed in both of the holders, if so desired.

I do not limit myself to any precise construction, as this may be varied at the will of the operator, the object of my invention being to prevent injury to the lamp when the carbons are burned entirely up or very short.

In place of using carbon points rcquirin g a holder to guide them, any other suitable substance forming an electrode may be used.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. rIhe combination of a stem having a hole through its end and provided with aset-screw, with a carbon or electrode holder made in two parts, which are united by a solder or other substance which fuses at a low temperature, and achain for holding the carbon-holder when detached from the stem, substantially as shown.

2. In an electric lamp, a carbon-holder made in two parts, which are connected together by solder or other substance which will fuse at a low temperature, so that in case the holder should become heated the two parts will separate, substantially as described.

3. In an electric lamp, the combination ot a carbon or electrode holder, which is made in two parts and united together by a substance which fuses at a low temperature, with a chain which is fastened to both parts, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric lamp, the combination of the stem A,having a non-conducting substance secured to its lower end, with a carbon or electrode holder made in two parts, which are secured together by a substance which is fusible at a low temperature, and a chain which is fastened to both parts for the purpose ot' preventing one of them from falling, snbstan tially as and for the purpose shown.

5. Acarbon holder or guide composed wholly or partly of a metal which fuses at a low temperature, substantially as described.

6. A carbon-holder made in two or more parts, which are united together by a solder, or made wholly of a metal which fuses at a low temperature, in combination with a chain or other suitable device for preventing the carbon or its holder from falling, substantially as speciiied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my han d this 5th day of Feb ruary, 1881.

LEONIDAS G. VOOLLEY.

Witnesses:

HARRY C. ROBERTS, G. S. WILEY. 

